Response to Bill Bernstein’s remark’s about Fahrenheit 9/11!

June 30, 2004

RJ Garfunkel

Nobody is selecting Moore to be Secretary of State. I am astounded how bitter and closed minded you have become. No one said the Reserves or Guard were anything but legitimate choices. But, frankly most people including myself could not get into the Guard. Kerry did volunteer; neither you nor anyone can take that away from him. Neither you nor anyone have the right to second-guess his decorations. They weren't given to him because he was rich or a potential politician. Whether his medals or any medals are truly more deserved for his actions, above all of the lost and unrecorded actions by forgotten unrecognized heroes, is irrelevant.  Whether you like Kerry or not, he did serve with distinction in the service and in the Congress. He was reelected many times. I notice that Massachusetts has had and currently has a Republican governor. Therefore people there will vote for the man, over party at times. As you know, more of America has become home to one-party regions. Whose fault is that? With regards to qualifications for the Presidency, we have gone down that path before. GW Bush was no more qualified then Al Gore and he received a lot less votes. Qualifications aside, Kerry went through the primary vetting process and will be nominated, no more no less. If you are happy as a hard-line conservative, with George Bush and his cronies representing your interests, so be it. I am not out to change your mind, only to express my views. I have always respected your intellect and decency, but if you wish to coddle up to the people who support the Bin Ladens and the Saudis, then I am sorry. I assume that you feel that the Saudis represent stability and a constant oil flow to the west, and therefore have to be protected in perpetuity. My friend when one lies down with dogs, they often arise with fleas. I, like every one else, would love to have the “pipeline” open indefinitely without any accompanying baggage. But there is baggage, in the same way that it existed in Iran. Our unconditional support for the Shah resulted in the Iran that we have today. Maybe if we would have insisted that he democratize a bit more, have a bit less corruption and had shared the spoils more equally, the people would not have turned to the Mullahs.

So it is nice to have self-interest, but the support of a failed policy to sustain self-interest, usually winds up disastrously.

Keep an open mind. Know that I am much more of a middle-roader than you think. Also understand, it is the war on terror that counts and the “money pit” that Iraq has become, could have been handled much better.  rjg